The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-10-29
GRAND EVEN IN DEATH.
Graphic and Touching Description of 4
Stag Hunt.

At last, the whisper flashed-he
movesl How electric the look and
word, sending the stagnant blood leap
ing in the heart, flushing in the cheek
and cleaning in the eye! No, it was
false alarm; his majesty had but brushed
away a fly! Yes, yes. it is true, he IS
rising! All unsuspecting, the noble
creature dropped lightly down on the
green shelf below and stood beside his
mate. How intense the excitement in
myself could not have believed it
possible-for all the hunting instinct
suddenly woke! But how warily calm
and self-possessed my friends! All now
rests on one moment, for, just beyond,
the stag could drop instantly out of
sight and gain life and liberty. Still
they shoot not, critical though the
chances are. Wherefore? Because he
faces away from them, and it would be
ignoble to hit him in the rear. Most
fairly and rightly honorable. Another
moment, and he turns slightly round to
greet his companion, who has moved
towards him. Instantly a shot breaks
the silence-a startled leap-and both
in a second disappear.
All! he is gone and our day is lost!
We hurry after him. "Stop-crouch!
There he is again!' And there he was,
in full view, facing his foes, on the top
of projecting rock below. with
antlered front nobly erect bravely re-
turned to discover the source of his
terror and pain, or to guard his friend.
He stood, a living statue of finest mould,
on the crest of that crag, set right
against the azure sky, an instantaneous
but indelble picture. But it was only
for a moment. Another laundering
shot-one sudden, silent bound high in
air-and then he fell backwards down
the precipice behind.
All was over; there was no doubt of
it. The ball had pierced his heart, and
he was gone for ever. His gentle mate
we never saw after the first alarm.
Where she hid her widowed fear and
grief that lonesome night none can
know. That she felt both who can for
a moment doubt? For, as Shelley sings,
even
Those viewless beings,
Whose mansion is the smallest particle
OF the impressive atmosphere,
Think, feel, and live, like men
The Shot was simply splendid, es-
pecially as delivered under such sudden
excitement, after such weary waiting,
by mere boy! But the romance to
me had died at once with the dead stag,
and felt sick at heart as we FASTENED
to the rock whence he had fallen.
There the mountain formed almost a
sheer cliff for hundreds of feet, and far
down, in a narrow ravine, lay the beau
tiful creature, "a huddled heap of veni-
ION.
The day seemed strangely darkened
to me; the glory Of the scene. so grand
" shown from that cliff, was shrouded;
and l cursed the skill Of man that had
such pitiful issue, We clambered
down the mountaiH, passing here
broken horn, there bit of bowel, and
there a splash OF blood. Then we
found the stag himself. half immersed
in a pool, where the stream flowed in
green hollow, between cliffs. He
was quite dead, his brilliant eye
already glazed, his nostrils distended
and stained with bloody froth, a horn
quite smashed by the terrible fall which
alone would have killed him, had not
the too sure bullet already done it too
well. Yet She instant dispatch of the
animal was the one redeeming feature
in the transaction. | strokod his beauti-
ful neck, felt the warmth of his soft
breast, and lifted his delicate hoof to
see if any life srill fingered. But, alas!
he was motionleSs az the rocks around,
and his life-blood was oozing into the
stream from Il fatal wound in the breast.
sat down some distance off, troubled
as l could not have anticipated, and
need be ashamed to own it?-the tear
would fill my eyes. Was this mere
waste of sentiment, unworthy the oc-
casion? SO be il, if you will; care not
to dispute it; simply tell how l felt on
that mOuntan-side, while the swift
hunters knife did its Office under the
skillful hands Of the keeper. Good
Words.